Shadow
by Deansgirl95
Summary: 4th story with my OFC Rachel. Set in Season 1: Rachel asks Sam and Dean to help her out on a hunt she can't take care of herself in Chicago. It's getting harder to resist Dean, especially when she knows how bad he wants her as well.
1. Chapter 1

Dean opened his eyes to the bright sunlight that streamed through the partially drawn curtain of his and Sam's motel room in east Minnesota. A few blinks and he was wide awake as was the norm for him. A little bit of firm pressure on the pillow under his head revealed the comforting, metal bulge of his gun. Still where he'd put it the night before, as always. A quick glance to the alarm clock showed almost 9:00 am in bright, digital numbers.

He turned his head and saw his brother still fast alseep on his side of the room. He contemplated waking Sam up so they could hit the road like thay'd planned to this morning, but unpon thinking about it for anoter second he decided to let Sam sleep a little longer.

The kid had been through a lot in the last few days. Being taken prisioner by an insane family of hunting enthusiests who had the intent of making him the next thing they were going to hunt would warrent anyone an extra hour of sleep, Dean figured. Besides, even though they were getting out of Minnesota today, it wasn't like they had a destination to head for.

They'd spent the last 3 days since freeing Sam and helping to bring down the lunatics in the motel watching the story develop on the news. They drank beer and half heartedly looked for the next stop on the road that was their lives. This little reprieve was sort of an unspoken of break that they both knew was desperately needed.

But now Dean was anxious to get back into the groove of things and find something nasty to hunt. Preferrably not human this time. This whole expirience had been so far out of his scope that he was more disturbed then he ever though he would have been by it.

He rose out of bed and did a half stretch before his phone rang on the night stand. He picked it up and flipped it open before it could ring again and disturb Sam, who was already fidgeting in his sleep from the sound. He hushedly said "hello" while hasting to the bathroom and closing the door.

"Dean?" A female voice said into his ear.

Rachel. He hadn't had time to look at the caller ID before taking the call, but he knew her voice and he found himself happy to hear it.

"Yeah, it's me Rach." He said.

"I'm sorry to call so early. Did I wake you?" She asked.

"Are you kidding? I just got back from my 3 mile morning run." He said without missing a beat.

She laughed and so did he. He felt very at ease with her. It was typical for their conversations to be breezy and light, but he had a feeling that she wasn't calling for one of their usual phone conversations.

Over the months since they's met by coincidence on a job, they'd become friends, parters on a few more hunts, and he hoped soon they would be more then that. He knew she had issues that he had respect at the moment, but that didn't mean that he didn't want her so bad he didn't ache.

They'd been in the habbit of speaking to eachother on the phone late at night at least once a week. Mostly when Sam was out cold. Sometimes they made excuses to call eachother. Other times they just called and with a funny story and it went from there.

A few times it had gotten heavy and veered on the fence of phone sex. It was those nights that she hung up quicker then usual. Always holding back. Not wanting or ready to go there with him, even on the phone. So she would hang up on him and leave him with a raging hard-on that he had to go into the bathroom to take care of. Frustrated to no end.

So that being the norm for them, he had a feeling that this wasn't the usual call.

"What's up?"

"Stiff dicks and airplanes, but I've got bigger problems that I'm hoping you and Sam can help me with." She said.

"Well, I'm always the one to help out when stiff dicks aren't the issue." He said. "What's going on?"

"Well, are you guys working on anything right now?" She asked.

He had hoped that this was why she was calling. A job she needed help with? He needed the job and he would love to see her again. Her beautiful face surfaced in his minds eye. Her waist lenghth black hair, bright green eyes, creamy, dusky skin, slender figure with large breasts that could make any pair of jeans and t-shirts look as good as anything from a Victoria Secret catalog. But at the moment he was thinking of her smile. Warm and inviting, sincere and genuine. Sheesh, he needed to get control of himself.

"We're inbetween at the moment actually." He answered.

"Are you very far from Chicago?" She asked.

"We're east of Minnesota, We could hit Chicago by tonight if we left soon, I suppose." He said.

"Ok, well if you want to I could use a hand out here."

She told him about how she'd stumbled across an obit about a girl in her 20's named Merideth that had been killed inside her apartment. Her locked and sealed apartment with no prints left at the scene.

When Dean asked what had raised the flag for Rachel instead of just righting it off as a really meticulously planned murder, she answered that she almost had. But her gut had made her go to the apartment and just do a quick EMF sweep to put it to rest.

But she detected EMF as well as sulfur. And finding that sealed the deal. Nothing ordinary, or meticulously planned about this murder. It was a spirit they were dealing with.

"And you need us why?" He asked.

"Because I can't stay and deal with this. I'm on a job and was just following my nasty through here when I lost the trial. That's when I noticed the obit, I'm close to picking up the trail again and gotta jet once I do." She answered.

His heart sank a bit. She was just calling him in to handle something she had her hands to full to take care of herself. This wasn't a job they could work together. There was a chance that they weren't even going to see eachother at all on this one.

"Ok, we're on it." Dean said. "Where're we headed?"

She told him where to find her and the job he'd just taken on.

"Ok, Sally. I'll call you when we're close." He said, using his nick name for her. She drove a beautiful, '65 white mustang. So it was only fitting that he called her "Mustang Sally."

"Thanks Dean. I wouldn't feel right leaving if I had to." She said.

They said their goodbyes and Dean hung the phone up.

Yeah. Sam had slept enough. Time to hit the road. They had a job (and Rachel) to head toward now.


	2. Chapter 2

The next night Sam and Dean sat in the bar that their Vic worked at before she'd been killed. Correction, tore to pieces according to the landlady who had let Sam and Dean into Meredith's apartment earlier that day. They had been guised as techs from the alarm company to gain access and the nice, if not some what opinionated, black woman in her 50's let them in with out question.

She'd even given them some valuable info related to the blood soaked scene, such as the chain and deadbolt on the door having to be cut by the police when she'd called them to report the smell coming from the apartment. And then of course, the fact that the poor girl had been discovered scattered everywhere about her living room.

There had been no EMF or sulfur at the scene this time. And the only thing they found of note was a very strange pattern in blood on the carpet. Dean had spoken with a local detective working on the case and found out that Meredith's heart had also been missing. Sam debunked werewolf right away because the lunar cycle was about half a month too early for one to be killing.

So Sam and Dean had the symbol that needed to be looked into and before they started that research they decided that the best thing to do was pay a visit to the late Meredith's place of work.

The bar was hopping for a Thursday night. Lots of young people their age, drinking and laughing at the bar and tables.

It was at such a table Dean returned to after speaking with the smoking hot bartender about their victim. Sam was sitting there already with dad's journal open, getting a jump start on the search for the symbol on the carpet.

"I talked to the bartender." Dean announced, sliding into the seat opposite Sam.

"Did you get anything? Besides her number?" Sam asked not looking up from the pages.

"Dude, I'm a professional. I'm offended that you would think that." Dean said, appalled at his brother.

Sam now looked up with one eyebrow arched and a knowing look. Dean couldn't hold the smile in any longer. He held up the cocktail napkin with the phone number on it and chuckled

"Alright, yeah." He said.

Sam shook his head and went back to reading. Dean put the napkin in his pocket quickly. "But shh, don't say anything; Rachel's meeting us here in a little bit."

Dean had gotten the text from her about 10 minutes ago saying that she'd be at the bar in 15 minutes. He'd been very happy to hear that she hadn't left yet and that he would get to see her. But that didn't mean that he wasn't going to hit up the gorgeous lady behind the bar for info on Meredith as well as her digits. He wanted Rachel, but he was a free agent and what she didn't know wouldn't hurt her.

"You mind doin' a little bit of thinking with your upstairs brain, Dean?" Sam asked.

"Huh?" Dean said, pulled from his thoughts. "Look, there's nothing to find out. I mean, Meredith worked here, she waited tables and everyone here was her friend. Everybody said she was normal. She didn't do or say anything weird before she died, so—what about that symbol, you find anything?"

"What symbol?" A female voice said. Dean looked up to see Rachel standing behind Sam, who also looked up at her question.

"Hey Rach," Sam said and stood up to give her a hug. He watched as his brother enveloped her slender frame and Rachel tiptoe up to return the hug.

"Good to see you Sam. Especially when I'm not tied to a tree." She said and smiled.

Sam laughed and Rachel made her way to Dean next. He wanted to put his arms around her and kiss her lips. She looked amazing in her form fitting red sweater and low rise jeans, her waist length black hair was down in all its glory, all the more vibrant against the sweater.

"Hey gorgeous." Dean said and rose half way out of his chair.

She leaned over and gave him a chaste little peck on his lips. Appropriate for the level of their relationship even though Dean was dying to taste her mouth again like he did the last time they'd last said goodbye, when she sat on the hood of a car and they were pressed together hotly.

He pushed the thought out of his head quickly when he felt himself start to swell a little bit. Not here. Not now. They had a job to do.

Rachel took and seat and asked the waitress for a Corona, no lime. Dean also asked her for a beer. When the waitress left she again asked what symbol it was that they had been talking about.

Dean and Sam walked her through the scene and the discovering of the blood spattered secret on the carpet. As they filled her in the waitress brought the beer over and she drank and listened to them talk.

"So, back to Dean's question Sam. Did you find anything on it yet?" Rachel asked.

"Nope, nothing." Sam said shaking his head. "It wasn't in Dad's journal or in any of the usual books. I just have to dig a little deeper, I guess."

"Well, there was a first victim, right? Before Meredith?" Dean asked Rachel.

"Right. Yeah." She said nodding. "His name was Ben Swardstrom. Last month he was found mutilated in his town house. Same deal—the door was locked, the alarm was on."

"Is there any connection between the two of them?" Dean asked.

"Not that I can tell. But hey, maybe you guys can figure that out. I've got succubus on the brain." She said and took a drink of her beer.

"A succubus? Is that what your chasing through here?" Sam asked.

"Yeah." Rachel said with a shake of her head. "Caught wind of the thing a state over after it had already infected 2 guys and made them screw themselves to death. Both their wives are probably still in the hospital."

"Yeah, that sounds about right for a succubus." Sam said. "They feed off the potency of the male during sex. One touch from a succubus supposedly turns the switch on for both partners and the need to have sex is so powerful that they can't stop. Eventually the male dies of exhaustion."

"That's what happened pretty much." Rachel continued. "I was able to save this one couple not too far out of town here but I lost the bitch in the process of trying to keep the guy and the girl separated until I could get them disinfected. I lost the trail out here and that's when I found our victim. I really appreciate you guys coming out to handle this one for me."

"No problem. But it seems like you might be round to give us a hand, no?" Dean asked taking a drink of beer, hoping he didn't sound desperate.

"Honestly, probably not. I've got someone figuring out where she'll be next. I'm just waiting on the call." Rachel said.

"Yeah, got to go find that little sex machine before she makes another guy rut to death." Dean teased.

"Listen, just because that's the glorious death your hoping for, doesn't mean anyone else needs to die." She teased back.

Dean nodded and winked at her. "Very true." He said.

She smiled at him then got serious once again and turned to Sam, who'd watched their exchange silently if not amusedly.

"So, back to the matter at hand." She said. "No one here knows anything about Meredith's death and the symbol on the carpet is a dead end for the moment. So the only successful intel you guys have scored so far is Dean getting the bartender's phone number?"

Sam smiled and looked his brother. Whose hand froze in mid air bringing the bottle to his lips.

Rachel looked at him as well and smiled warmly. Letting him know that she knew, some how, and was cool with it.

"Yeah. I guess." Dean said and took his drink that shock had stalled.


	3. Chapter 3

"Alright, let's call it a night and get a fresh look at this tomorrow after some sleep I guess." Dean said to his two bar table partners as he stood up.

Rachel smiled at how uncomfortable she'd just made him. Dean Winchester wasn't used to girls getting the upper hand on him and calling him out. The frazzled look on his face was priceless.

"Sounds like a good idea." Rachel said, also standing.

"I'll be right back." Sam said and walked past them to another table at a further end of the bar.

Dean and Rachel watched him approach a filled table and say something to a woman whose back was turned to them. She turned and looked up at Sam, then smiled as big as she possibly could.

The girl stood up and wrapped her arms around Sam. She was a petite blond with a short cropped haircut, her frame was slight and Rachel almost couldn't see while enveloped in Sam's large frame.

"Who's that?" Rachel asked Dean.

"No idea. Never seen her before." Dean answered.

"Well they obviously know each other." Rachel said as she watched Sam and the girl talk. "She's so cute."

"Yeah, I suppose." Dean said.

Rachel looked at him and chuckled. "You should get her phone number too."

Dean gave her a death glance. Which she smiled at.

"C'mon, let's go say hi." Rachel said and she and Dean began walking toward the table Sam stood at with the girl.

When they were in close enough distance Dean let out a little Hmm-hmm to announce their arrival to his brothers turned back. Rachel was taken back by the girls' reaction to the innocent gesture.

"Dude, cover your mouth." She said.

The slight smile that Rachel still had wavered and her eyes narrowed. _Seriously? _Rachel thought.

"Yeah, um, I'm sorry, Meg. This is a friend of mine Rachel, and my brother, Dean." Sam said to Meg.

"This is Dean?" Meg said, ignoring Rachel altogether.

"Yeah." Sam answered as Dean smiled with his usual charm.

"So, you've heard of me?" He asked

"Oh, yeah. I've heard of you. Nice—the way you treat your brother like luggage." She said.

Now Rachel's smile was wiped away with Dean's and she found herself frowning at the absolute gall of this chick.

"Sorry?" Dean said, obviously just as taken aback as Rachel was.

"Why don't you let him do what he wants to do? Stop dragging him over God's green earth." Meg said to Dean. Rachel had had enough.

"Wow. Rude much?" She said.

"Excuse me?" Meg said, looking at Rachel for the first time.

"Sweetie, there doesn't seem to be an excuse for you." Rachel said.

Meg crossed her arms over her chest and looked at Rachel with a furrowed forehead. "And who the Hell do you think you are?"

"I'm some one whose going to make you mind your manners if you can't mind them your self." Rachel said standing a bit taller, her anger bubbling up a bit. "You should be more respectful to people you don't even know."

"Meg, it's all right." Sam said, trying to keep the peace. Meg didn't even acknowledge him.

"Bitch, you need to shut up before I make you shut up." She said to Rachel.

Rachel laughed. "Try it. I'll mop the fucking floor with you."

Meg seemed to take the challenge and took a step toward Rachel who in turn took a step of her own toward Meg.

That was when Dean stepped in front of her fully and Sam put his arm out in front of Meg.

"Ok, I think we need to cool off a bit. Rachel. let's go out side." Dean said, his hand on her arms.

Rachel continued to stare at the little bitch but let her self be pulled back a step or two.

"Sam, we'll be out side." Dean said to his brother.

"Your lucky." Rachel said as Dean led her way back wards.

Meg was silent but didn't break eye contact until Rachel was out of sight.

Out side, Rachel let her anger bubble down with a deep breath of night air.

"Whoa. My Knight in shining armor." Dean said with the biggest smile on his face.

"I'm sorry." Rachel said. "Fucking little disrespectful bitch. I couldn't not say something."

"Are you kidding?" Dean Said. "That was the sexiest thing I think I've ever seen."

She held his eyes for a moment before giving a little laugh. He smiled back at her in return.

"Then you need to update your porn collection because I was going to kill her."

Dean slipped his arm around her waist just then and pulled her close. Before she could even realize what he was doing he pressed his mouth down on hers.

After the reaction of surprise to his kiss was gone, Rachel relaxed and against her better judgment, kissed him back.

For what seemed like eternity they stood there, bodies pressed lightly against each other. His mouth was gentle against hers and she was just as soft. After another eternity it seemed to Rachel, he pulled away and looked down at her. That devilish smile threatening to surface.

"Thank you." He said.

She looked up at him. God, his eyes had a million colors in them it seemed.

"You welcome." She said.

"A-Hem."

Dean turned his head to look behind him at the same time Rachel looked over his shoulder at Sam, who had made the sound to announce his presence.

Rachel pulled away from Dean, imbarrest to be caught so intimately with him. Dean turned to face his brother and Rachel was very happy to see that Sam had left the little twat in the bar.

"So, who the hell was she?" Dean asked.

"I don't really know. I only met her once. Meeting up with her again? I don't know, man, it's weird." Sam said.

"And what was she saying? I treat you like luggage? What, were you bitchin' about me to some chick?" Dean said. Obviously not caring that Rachel was here to see this exchange with his brother.

Sam on the other hand, glanced at Rachel before answering. Not comfortable with her presence at the moment. He answered Dean's question anyway.

"Look, I'm sorry, Dean. It was when we had that huge fight when I was in that bus stop in Indiana. But that's not important, just listen—" Sam tried.

But Dean cut him off, his anger giving his voice a sharp note and even though Rachel couldn't see his face she knew he must be frowning.

"Well, is there any truth to what she's saying? I mean, am I keeping you against your will, Sam?"

"No, of course not." Sam said.

"Ok, guys listen. Maybe this isn't the best time for ANOTHER fight." Rachel said, trying to keep the peace. "We're on a case."

Both the brothers just stared at each other for a moment in silence. Dean's gaze hard while Sam's was apologetic. It was Sam that spoke next.

"I think there's somethin' strange going on here." He said.

"Yeah, tell me about it." Rachel said with an exaggerated roll of her eyes. "She wasn't even that into Dean."

Both the brother looked at her then and she couldn't help but crack a smile. Sam did as well and while Dean's face was still stonish, his eyes softened a bit.

_Ok, mood lightened. _Rachel thought

"No, I mean like our kind of strange. Like, maybe even a lead." Sam said.

"Why do you say that?" Dean asked, his voice not harsh anymore.

"I met Meg weeks ago, literally on the side of the road. And now, I run into her in some random Chicago bar? I mean, the same bar where a waitress was slaughtered by something supernatural? You don't think that's a little weird?" Sam said.

"I don't know, random coincidence. It happens." Dean offered.

"Yeah, it happens, but not to us. Look, I could be wrong, I'm just sayin' that there's something about this girl that I can't quite put my finger on."

Dean gave a smirk. "Well, I bet you'd like to. I mean, maybe she's not a suspect, maybe you've got a thing for her, huh?"

SAM rolled his eyes and laughed.

"Really Sam?" Rachel said, not being able to resist poking some fun at him as well. "I didn't think 'snotty bitch' was your type."

"Do me a favor, you two." Sam said, ignoring them both. "Check and see if there's really a Meg Masters from Andover, Massachusetts, and see if you can't dig anything up on that symbol on Meredith's floor."

"What are you gonna do?" Dean asked.

"I'm gonna watch Meg."

"Yeah, you are." Dean said with a laugh.

"I just wanna see what's what." Sam said in defense. "Better safe than sorry."

"All right, you little pervert." Rachel said. "Go watch Witchy McBitcherson. Dean and I have some research to do it seems."


	4. Chapter 4

It started to rain on the drive back to the motel room. Dean sat in the passenger seat of Rachel's mustang while she navigated the streets the 3 miles. Dean had given Sam the keys to the Impala to go spy on his cute little roadside friend and he and Rachel were headed back to bury themselves in some books to get a jump on this case which had been just dead ends at this point.

Rachel hummed with the radio softly as she drove, their silence more comfortable then Dean wanted to admit.

He glanced at her and saw her face distorted from the reflection of raindrops on the windshield. It did nothing to diminish how beautiful she was.

Her eyes were illuminated by the shine of the headlights of the car behind them reflecting on the rearview mirror. the color was the brightest green he'd ever seen against the backdrop of night that dimmed the interior of the car.

Before he could stop himself, he imagined those eyes looking up at him with desire, then closing gently as a soft moan escaped her lips as he kissed the tender flesh of her neck.

The image was too much. His cock began to swell in his jeans right there in his seat.

_Oh God, no. _He thought in panic. If she looked over she would see for sure. He quickly turned his thoughts to the most non-sexual thing he could think of and the next image that popped into his head almost made him laugh: Sam eating brussle sprouts at 8 and gagging.

Ridiculous, but it did the trick. And just in time because she noticed him looking at her and gave him a glance back.

"What?" She asked.

"What is this crap you've got me listening to?" He asked without thinking. Nodding toward the radio which issued the mellow sounds a slow acoustic song.

"What, you don't like Green day?" She asked.

"Green who?" He answered honestly.

"You know Dean, your what? 27? It wouldn't hurt you to listen to something a little more current then Jethro Tull."

"Of course it would." He said with a smile.

He saw her eyes linger on his lips a moment longer then they should have. _Like my smile huh?" _He thought and made a mental note to use it to his advantage when the time was right.

"All I'm saying is that it can be all Metallica, all the time. No matter how awesome they are." She said.

"So it's these Green people for you all the time?" He asked. Generally interested to know what music she liked.

"No. I like Green day but I'm more of a Rob Zombie/Def Tones/Evanescence type chick, I think." she said with a little squint of her eyes that was the cutest thing he'd ever seen.

He was about to reply when she turned into the parking lot of the motel. He directed her to where his and Sam's room was and she parked in a spot close to it.

The rain was pouring out at that point so they got out of the car quickly. They made a mad dash to door about 50 yards across the parking lot. She yelped as they splashed in a small puddle and sent water spraying up at them.

Finally they were under the awing, semi-soaked. Dean fished in his back pocket for the room key. They looked up at each other. He face was wet and little tendrils of her black hair her stuck to her damp cheek. He reached out and hooked his finger under them gently, pulling them away.

She gave him a thoughtful look as he did.

He found the key and slipped it into the door. The lock gave way with a click as he turned it. He swung the door open and held it for her as she walked in past him.

_Please God, help me not to throw her on the bed right this second. _Dean thought as he switched the light on.

"I'll get us a couple of towels. Start setting up the lap tops." She called as she kicked off her sneakers on her way to the bathroom.

_Right down to business I guess. _He said to himself with a sigh only he could hear.

He did as she asked after stripping off his wet leather jacket and throwing it on the bed. She came back blotting her long hair on a hand towel and handed him another.

He went over the symbol with her and they discussed it to some length before settling in at the computers and a few books Dean had on hand.

They worked at the small table by the window, their illumination nothing but the soft bedside lamp and the rain streaked light coming from the window.

Rachel found herself glancing up at Dean more often then she'd care to admit. He looked up this Meg chick and his brow furrowed a bit when he was deep in thought, making a thoughtful expression on his face.

It would be so easy right now. They were alone in this small motel room, the rain beating against the window and metal door making it sounds sexy and hot.

In Rachel's mind she saw herself and Dean facing each other on their knees on the bed, locked in a tight embrace, kissing each other with passion. He lifted his arms up as she pulled his shirt over his head. He bent his head and kissed her neck as she ran her hands over the smooth, hot flesh of his back.

She instantly felt a nudge in her stomach that brought her back to reality. The familiar pit was always there when she thought of or did something that conflicted with her self punishment.

_Nope. No Sex. Not when your a sister murderer._ Rachel thought.

Kellie'd been gone longer then Rachel cared to count anymore. Drowned when Rachel could have saved her. Rachel refused to live and have the things her sister couldn't have anymore.

_Wow, do I even believe that anymore? _Was Rachel's next thought. She had to admit that the guilt wasn't what it once was. That she thought more and more about calling her mother (who she'd had no contact with since the incident because she couldn't face her) and going home to one of the very few family members she had left in this world.

Even the nightmares that had plagued her and the hallucinations of her little sister where becoming fewer and fewer. It was the _thought_ of all this time dealing with it that held her back right now. It was the last embers of that dying light that made her stay away from home and make love to Dean Winchester.

Not that she felt any less guilty about getting her sister killed, but as time went on she just knew that this isn't what Kellie would want for her. And Rachel WAS still alive. But still...she couldn't let go. No matter how hard she tried.

She threw her thoughts back into her work and tried desperately not to look up at Dean squinting at his computer screen or comment to her self about how velvety his voice was when he informed her that he had found a bunch of info on Sam's girlfriend.

Just as he had finished telling her just that, as if Sam had been tuned into it, Dean's phone rang with his brother on the other end.

Rachel continued her search for their mysterious symbol while she listened to Dean's end of the conversation. After their initial salutations, Dean asked if Sam was outsides the girl's apartment, peering into her windows from the car parked on the opposite side of the street.

She couldn't help but smile and glance up at Dean, who met her glance, when Sam admitted it.

"You've got a funny way of showing your affection." Dean said to Sam.

Sam must have asked if they were able to uncover anything about her, to which Dean replied:

"Sorry, man, she checks out. There is a Meg Masters in the Andover phonebook. I even pulled up her high school photo."

Dean looked over at Rachel who gave him a smirk and a slightly raised one shoulder as if to say _Sorry Sam. Know you where hoping for drama. _"Now, look." Dean continued. "why don't you go knock on her door and, uh, invite her to a poetry reading, or whatever it is you do, huh?"

Rachel listened to Dean tease Sam half heartedly after that because she had just hit pay dirt of this freaking symbol. After coming up with an origin for it it was a quick jump to another paranormal site that gave her the background for it.

She read with her brow furred and was half aware of the fact that the brothers where ending their conversation as she drank in all the info on the computer screen.

Sam must have asked if they had found anything on the symbol and Dean was right in the middle of saying no when Rachel interrupted him.

"Yes we did." She said as she typed into another data base to confirm what she was reading.

"Yes we did." Dean repeated to Sam as he frowned at her questioningly. "We did?" He asked her after pulling the phone away from his mouth.

"It's Zoroastrian and it's very, very old. Like two thousand years before Christ." She said.

Dean got up and came over to her side of the table. He handed her the phone and leaned over her shoulder to read the screen.

"Hey Sam." Rachel said after putting the phone to her ear. "Have you seen her get dressed in the window yet?" She asked, not able to resist the temptation to tease the younger Winchester.

"Haha, Funny." Sam said. "So it's Zoroastrian you said?"

"Yep. Looks like. It's a sigil for a...Daeva. I think that's how you pronounce it." Rachel said.

"What's a Daeva?"

"It translates to "demon of darkness". Zoroastrian demons, and they're savage, animalistic, you know, nasty attitudes—kind of like, uh, demonic pit bulls." Rachel said trying hard not to inhale too deeply because the faint smell of Dean's leather jacket still clung to him a bit and with him leaning over her so close, the aroma was intoxicating.

"Did you read that?" Dean asked, pointing to a certain line in the text on the screen.

"Yeah, before." Rachel said to him and then turned her attention back to Sam to inform him of this very important bit of info.

"Here's the thing—these Daevas, they have to be summoned, conjured."

"So, someone's controlling it?" Sam asked.

"Looks like. And, from what I gather, it's pretty risky business, too. These suckers tend to bite the hand that feeds them." Rachel told Sam. "I'm gonna give you back to Dean, there's one more thing I wanna check out real quick."

"Ok. good job Rachel." Sam said, pulling a smile from her.

She handed the phone back to Dean and went on to wrap up all the info she'd just uncovered. She was relieved when Dean stood up and walked back to his side of the table, taking his musky, arousing aroma with him.

"Ok Sammy, we've got our symbol. Work done for the night I'd say." He said looking at Rachel for confirmation as well. As way of answer she shrugged and nodded. He was right. Nothing else to do tonight. "Why don't you go give that girl a private strip-o-gram?" Dean said to his brother and smiled at his own humor.

Rachel chuckled and signed off her computer. She wasn't sure what Sam said but Dean's response to it was:

"No, bite her. Don't leave teeth marks, though...Sam? Are you—? He hung up on me." Dean said and clicked his phone shut.

"Why do you torture him like that?" Rachel asked standing up.

"Because it's fun and since I'm older it's my God-given right." Dean answered and capped it off with a big grin.

"Still, it's not riiiighht-..." Rachel said, the last word elongated by the yawn that she just couldn't contain. She stretched after the yawn. Pulling the tension out of her muscles. Dean spoke in the middle of it.

"It's absolutely...right..." He said, his eyes glued to her arched back and neck.

It was only when she finished her stretch and looked at him that she realized that she'd just flipped a switch for him. She'd just stretched a sexy little stretch for him and he didn't hide the fact that he'd watched it and liked it.

_oops! _Rachel thought completely innocently as she and Dean looked at each other in silence for another moment.

"Are you trying to drive me insane?" He asked.

"What?" She asked frowning, flustered. "No."

The silence hung with them staring at each other.

"I'm not sure I believe you." Dean said as he stood up. His face stern and serious.

"Relax there killer. I'm tired. That's all." She said. But she had to admit that the idea of him looking at her breast as they pushed against her sweater was hot. Her belly did a little turn with excitement just then.

He gave her a half smile and took a step closer to her.

"You know Rach, I'm trying really, really hard to respect this whole thing you got going on in your head." He said and moved closer to her. "But between the phone calls and you staring at my ass when you don't think I'm looking-"

"Your crazy." She interjected with a small chuckle as he slowly closed the distance between them.

"-The cutesy smiles. The sexy way your willing to beat up another girl for me-" he continued.

"It was a yawn, Dean. That's all" She interrupted. He moved close enough to her that he would have been over her had she not started to back away now. She didn't feel threatened, but her heart began to pound in her chest with the thought of what he was going to do when he got close enough. Part of her wanted this so bad, part of her was still very scared, which is what made her move back as he advanced.

"And now your flexing that gorgeous body of yours-" He took a step forward, she took a step back. "here in a motel room-" Step. "in the dark-" Step. "while while we're alone." Step.

Rachel's thudded against the wall softly. She had no where else to go. He took one final step and was towering over her. She looked up at him and in the gloom could make out the hint of green his eyes offered. God, and smell that damn jacket again. It filled her head.

To block any escape she might think of he put one of his palms up on the wall. Telling her basically that if she tried for the door he would stop her.

"Do you think I'm made of stone? Because I'm not, you know." He asked softly.

Rachel's heart was in her throat and her skin pricked with anticipation and the heat that she felt radiate off of him.

"I can't do this Dean." She said the words but in her mind she begged him not listen. To push forward and break the wall she had built.

He heard her prayer. Because just then he leaned his head down and claimed her mouth. A bit roughly and with authority but with no threat or dominance. He said to her in that kiss that he wasn't going to force her to do anything, but was just reiterating how bad he wanted her. With that reassurance she kissed him back hungrily and with passion to match his own.

He pulled away before she wanted him to and looked down at her with his eyes dark with desire.

"You say you can't, and then you kiss me like that." He said. "I can't take this any more Rachel. I want you and you want me. Why are we still fighting this?

"Because I just can't Dean." She said. "I can't do this and be ok with it. I'm sorry."  
He let out an exasperated breath and hung his head. After a moment he looked back up at her, his eyes stern once again.

"Tell me to back off, mean it and I'll let you go right now." He said. "Tell me you don't want me and I'll leave you alone. I swear." He challenged.

She looked him in the eye and was silent. The words formed in the back of her throat and she wanted to say them so bad. But she would be lying if she did. He stared into her eyes and waited for her response. She stared back and willed herself to tell him to back off so she could leave.

He waited. She was silent.

"That's what I thought." He said a little breathlessly and pulled her into his arms, claiming her mouth with his own once again.

He lifted her off the floor and she clung to his shoulders and pressed her knees into his hips for support while kissing him back. He pressed her against the wall and she relished the feeling of his whole body against hers.

She was really going to do this? She was really going to let him make love to her right now? Is she crazy? Her brain screamed, but the fog that clouded her mind was too strong for her rational thoughts to break through. _Your not ready. You'll hate your self. STOP! _

The thoughts melted away as he trailed his lips down to her neck and kissed her there. She moaned and melted against the feeling of his mouth on such sensitive skin. She couldn't help but grind her pelvis against his a little then. He responded with a little push of his own back to her and she felt the hard proof of his desire against her thigh.

She told herself to stop. _MAKE HIM STOP!_

But she couldn't. Instead she dug her fingers into his shoulders, felling the hard muscles under his shirt and imagined what they would look like in a few minutes when she stripped the shirt off him and she could lace her mouth down the smooth skin there.

Still holding her, He turned around and began moving them both toward the bed. She let him take as many as 5 steps there, pulling his lips to hers again in the process and trying hard to keep the ringing in her ears down.

Just as he was about to lay her down on the mattress she realized that the ringing wasn't in her head. But it was her phone in her back pocket.

The realization brought her to a screeching halt. She pulled away from him and in a desperate moment of clarity answered the phone, not even bothering to look at the caller ID.

"Hello." She said breathlessly, putting a hand in the center of Dean's chest and pushing him back a little. He looked at her with bewilderment and a slight note of shock on his face at having been cut off right in the middle of such heat.

The familiar male voice spoke into Rachel's ear and she listened. The whole time never breaking eye contact with Dean.

"Yeah." She said into the phone. Confirming to her contact that she was listening as he gave her the location of the Succubus he was helping her to track.

"You sure?" She asked him. Still looking at Dean who still had her in half a hold. "Ok, I'm on it." Rachel said.

She shut the phone and stood to her full height. She pushed the slight mess of her hair back and finally broke eye contact with Dean.

"I gotta go." She said and moved around him.

He stood in shock for half a second while she began packing her laptop.

"Are you kidding me?" He said, finally Turing to face her.

"I got a 20 on my succubus. I gotta get there now." She said. Happy to have been literally saved by the bell.

"Who the Hell was that?" He asked. As if if she had given him her contact's name he would have found a way to beat the cock blocking sonofabitch at that moment.

"A friend helping to locate the monster. Which he did and I now have to go out and kill it." She said, packing the rest of her books and taking her jacket. "You know the deal Dean, Duty calls."

"Not right in the middle of-..." He said, raising his voice a little. He blew out a breath and took in another deep one to calm himself. "Your not seriously going to leave me here like this are you?"

She felt a pang of guilt run through her. She really was going to Hell for...Wait! What was she thinking? He was Casanova incarnate. He could have a girl, 3 girls, here tonight if he wanted them. She wasn't going to feel bad for being an unintentional cock-tease.

"I'm sorry Dean." She said. She meant it. "Even if I could stay I shouldn't be doing this with you anyway. I'm still too fucked up."

"You know, I try to hold my tongue when it comes to your issues here. God only knows what I would be like if anything ever happened to Sam." He said, walking closer to her. "But your not the one who's dead you know."

She was stunned into silence.

"You think not enjoying good food, or music or sex is gonna bring your sister back?" He asked her. "It's not. But your the one still alive Rachel."  
She stared at him. The hurt piercing and threatening to sting her eyes with tears.

"Excuse me if my sister's death puts a cramp in your love life Dean." She said.

"That's not what I meant, Rachel." He said, responding to her anger with a soft voice.

"No, you know what? You've got some phone numbers at the bar tonight, you don't need me or my issues to be here with you tonight." She turned toward the door to leave. He grabbed her arm.

"Don't go like this." He said when she turned to look at him.

She gave him a thoughtful look. Her anger ebbing away. She knew that he hadn't meant anything by it. and when it came down to it he was completely right. She knew it, she was just waiting for her scared psyche to catch up.

She softened her features, leaned in close to him and gave him a soft kiss to show him that she was sorry for her outburst. They touched foreheads and just stood like that for a moment.

"You can't punish yourself like this forever." He whispered.

"I don't want to. But I can't help it." She whispered back.

They were silent then for next few moments. Just listening to each others breathing.

"I gotta go." She said.

"I know." He replied.

She moved away from him and out the door then. It had stopped raining so she didn't have to run to the car but instead she tried to navigate around the puddles to keep her mind from what she had just left behind.

She got into her car, revved the engine and pulled out of the parking lot and away from the motel as fast as she could.

In the dark on the highway she felt like the biggest asshole in the universe. She wished that she could just get over this whole thing already. She wanted to make love again and not feel bad about it. She wanted to see her mother again and cry in her arms for a week.

Tears finally fell from her eyes as she thought of the later. If nothing else she missed her mother and wanted to be with her again. No matter how crazy the woman drove her sometimes with her adversity to hunting, which would be empowered a thousand fold now that she had lost her husband AND her youngest child to it now, Rachel longed for the comfort that only she could give her. Maybe soon.

4 days later Rachel called Dean from a table in a coffee shop as she finished a slice of blueberry pie with vanilla ice cream. He answered on the 3rd ring.

"Hey Sallie. How's the Succubus business these days?" He said.

She smiled. Loving the fact that even after what had happened between them he could answer the phone with complete forgiveness and a joke to boot.

"The bitch actually gave me the slip again. Do you believe it?" She told him.

"No way." He said.

"Yep. And she's staying low key on top of it. She just drained a guy into a coma this time to stay under the radar. She keeps that up I'm not sure I'm gonna be able to find her again." Rachel said. "What's the deal with the Deava?"

Dean went on to tell her that they had actually made contact with their dad on this case, the daeva was history, so was Meg (who turned out to be a demon by the way) and their dad was gone again.

She heard little else after hearing that their father was gone again after they'd been looking for him so long and slight note of hurt in his voice when he told her.

"I'm sorry Dean." She said.

"Yeah, me too." He said. "Well any way. Where are you right now?"

"I'm actually your neck of the woods, Kansas. I'm sitting in a diner have a slice of blueberry pie before I hit the road." She said to him.

"Blueberry pie?" He asked. "Your not going to vomit it up because you feel guilty about eating it are you?"

She laughed. She knew that he would understand that she had eaten it and told him about it as a way of saying that she'd taken what he'd said to her in the motel room to heart and that she was sorry for the way things had gone down with them.

"No. No vomit going on here. I had and I enjoyed it. One step at a time." She said.

"Sounds like you took a leap." He said.

"Not really. I had blueberry but my favorite is cherry." She said.


End file.
